Chapter XV

Classes in October had never been better for Keller and Hermione with having been a bit chaotic the last few short weeks but getting over it fast with everything coming out smoother than they ever expected to imagine and getting into the full swing of things.

They enjoyed hanging out with their new friends and became a lot closer to the Marauders with the exception of Hermione now dating Remus and Peter who seem reluctant of Keller after what she did to James and ever after apologize to him for what happened. James said it was no big deal and that he would only forgive her if she tried out for the team as Seeker.

"But you already have one, why would you possible need me for?" She said while they walked down the corridor together in a small packed group, going to Elder knows where.

"Well I guess you might think so but with Frank, he kind of having accident prone on him and was considering of quitting soon so we kind of need someone to fill in and your fast cat-like reflexes are just what we need and I bet you can certainly make the cut, no sweat."

She had to smile, thanking his compliment, "I'll think about it James, but there are two small problems that I have: One, I have no broom and two I don't know how to exactly fly one." That was quite ironic as she could easily fly with her eyes closed without one but couldn't on an actually broomstick.

Sirius and James looked to one another, a sly mischievous glint in their eye before turning back to her and having the bad feeling where this might lead.

"Well it looks like you'll have to undergo Prongs and Padfoot broom riding program, either that or Madam Hooch herself and we know that her training is not something you want to try."

Remus decided to take the moment to give his regards while they formulate the plans and basic training methods and hours she would endure.

"Don't worry too much with those two, they may seem immature and foolish but they happen to be the best fliers on the team. They will help show you the ropes and you'll be flying in no time, long as they don't have you do the dangerous stunts or whatever they concoct with."

She waved him off, "Oh please who said I was worry. I mean how bad could it be with these two teaching me how to ride a broomstick."

BAM! She fell to the ground for the sixth time, hitting her shoulder on impact and turn to see the broom and ball came flying right at her.

"ACK!" She rolled to the side before the ball hit the ground and bounce back up and the broom landed where she had been. She then sat up, glaring up in the sky at the very person who was hovering there looking amused.

"Ok how was that suppose to help me by sending a metal ball of death at my head?!" She watched as Sirius landed himself to her side and grabbed the broom in one hand while holding a small bat in the other which he used to send that iron ball in her direction that made her fall off.

"You were supposed to hold on to your broomstick with one hand and use the other to obtain the snitch even when a Bludger comes flying at you and you simply dodge it. Doesn't take a centaur to figure that out."

Keller had to roll her eyes, "Well gee I didn't know centaurs could fly then. Must really give the broom its horsepower." She picked up her broom and saw him standing next to her waiting, "The next time you try shooting that ball at me again, I suggest you sleep with one eye open or you'll find yourself with bite marks on your neck in the morning." She mounted the broom and gave one last look to him and bared her fangs showing how serious she was, "And I mean it!"

"Oh I didn't know you care!" Sirius said teasing while Keller shot another glare in his direction and he sighed, shaking his head, "Just try and keep yourself aware and always look behind once in a while. Wouldn't hurt if you pay close attention to what will happen…" Keller was thinking this had to be the biggest mistake she had ever made into accepting these two their help into teaching her how to ride the broom.

So far the training had been hell after she tried to use the command for the broomstick off the ground and result in having it whacked her face, hitting her nose twice. Then those flying lessons to different levels when she had gotten off the ground too fast and saw everything, her friends in the stand, turning into ants and tried to get herself to slow down or at least stop and floated there in midair, clutching the handle for dear life.

Once she gotten the hang of it, they decided that it was time to have her practice training to being the reserved 'Seeker'.

The snitch moved fast and each time she tried to grab it, it flew at the last second and she missed and then landed in the dirt with a hard thud on the ground. She was getting frustrated and tired but wasn't one to give in so easily or quit when she wanted to do was try and catch that little annoying zooming ball.

The gang watch from the bleachers as Keller mount her broom that Sirius lend while he and James switched off and on James' own to help Keller as she zoomed through the air once again. She was getting somewhat better but it was her landings that were the problem.

"Do you really think it's wise to be having them try her out for Seeker when she never ridden a broom before?" Hermione thinking there would be no way Keller could be ready for a match until she was able to master flying and catching the snitch at the same time. And her landing was going to need some work she noted dubitably.

Remus shrugged, looking to his girlfriend sitting beside him, "Well let's hope they can wait a bit longer because they are sometimes impatient and—" The snitch flew by Hermione's ear causing her to turn her head to watch it fly by, "Merlin's beard!" and she and everyone whirled around to see Keller coming towards them with no chance of slowing down or stopping.

"Everybody hit the deck! Incoming!" The group scattered as Keller crash-landed, hitting the stands and everyone was all right.

Unfortunately not for her and Peter, who hadn't been able to move in time, and landed in a heap where he was on top and one of his hands was on her...

Anybody who was around by the time could hear the loud shriek of Keller Corvin as she yelled at the top of her lungs, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"

Since that day, Peter became wary and self-conscious around her after that incident. She had walked away angrily, fuming and handing Sirius back his broom when he came to check upon her and called it a day heading back to the castle.

She kept muttering under her breath 'perverted rats' and 'groping in places he shouldn't have…' and other things while taking a two and a half hot shower inside the girls bathroom and scrubbing her skin until it was red and raw to rid not only the stench of practice but the touch of that rat's hands on her body. With Peter staying as far away from her whenever he could, she made up with becoming more friendly with Sirius who sometimes love to chat and joke and make her laugh and smile and saw he became comfortable in her company.

Everyone kept thinking they were a couple and she had to keep telling them they weren't, even though Sirius pretend to say words of undying affection or how much he loved her just for laughs and making everyone jealous or think they were being silly. She at least thought they weren't anything more than just friends and before long had to keep repeating to people six times a week that they were not going out, trying to avoid the stares and whispers as she walked down the corridor to in the Great Hall or classes.

A lot of the girls were relief while others looked on with jealousy and envy since she was closest to him now that Lily was James's girlfriend and Hermione was Remus's mate but thought they were dating like everybody else.

Two out of the four Marauders had been taken, leaving Sirius behind as the only ladies man left for all the girls to swoon and flirt and date with.

Keller had seen him hang out times with multiple girls from so many of their classes that she lost count at times, seeing for the thirtieth time him in the far corners or in the hallway of the castle where he snogged the living daylights out of them for a week before moving on to a new target.

Sometimes she felt as if someone had plunged a knife in her heart and each time it was twisted in cruelly instead of being pulled right out to bleed slowly.

What's wrong with me, why am I feeling like this? It's not like I'm jealous of him being with one of those girls from whoever houses, sheesh what am I thinking? Of course not! Don't be ridiculous! Sure everyone thought we were going to go out but we're not, we love to hang together, but not being that close.

Just remember what Drake had always told you, 'Never let your emotions get the best of you. If you do, you'll be staring down at the barrel of a gun. Remember it and you'll survive.' Just got to remember that and I'll be fine. I was—I mean I still am and always will be.

She tried to concentrate on her assignment, a two parchment essay for Transfiguration on the cross-species switchesand on how with similar names and appearance could it possible to change like guinea fowl into guinea pigs or hedgehogs into pincushions, trying to push aside the memory of fifteen minutes ago, seeing Sirius in the hallway with a fifth year Ravenclaw girl, flirting and her giggling stupidly.

By the Elder's balls! She felt the quill snapped and the ink smearing all over her words and ruin her work and having to start all over again with a fresh piece, scribbled her notes down in a handwriting not even her own as her hand was shaking angrily as she wrote.

The classes were all right with all the teachers with the exception of Binns who practically left the entire class asleep except those who wanted to pass and had to remain awake and of course Trelawney who was always making some prediction on her part that she would meet a 'grim' fate.

Whenever Trelawney made that assumption she, Hermione and the Marauders would snickered as she said, "But I've already met one last night and the night before and before that and he keeps asking me out and I always tell him no and he's flirting with me nonstop."

The teachers loved them as they, she, Hermione and Lily were the three top girls in their classes with Remus, James and possible a tie between Sirius if he wanted and Snape she saw were the three top boys.

Her favorite one out of them all had to be Defense Against the Dark Arts with Ms. Valerious. Professor Valerious was very much nice to her as she was to everyone but something else seem to be there than what everybody else didn't notice. She just couldn't put her finger on it and kept feeling that unusual feeling there was.

She learned so much thanks to her as she taught them about the dark arts, creatures and people and how to defense oneself from them. There was even talk that she was going to be arranging a Duel class if Dumbledore would give her permission and thought she would by the beginning of November.

Keller looked to the side opposite her where she seen her cousin and Remus both writing their notes but also exchanging words to one another silently in secret and possible playing footsie and saw Hermione go bright red. Snape was writing down notes again, not under the Half Blood Prince title like in Potions but still adding some sort of idea from the class.

She didn't want to tell the other Gryffindor about her meetings with Severus as they might have said she was being used or trick or say she was being in cahoots with the enemy. Now that would seem off the rocker if Hermione agree with them.

Surely her cousin and boyfriend would accept it if she told them later about it. But then again Remus was a with the Marauder who thought nothing good would come of Snivellus beside being an evil git and all that jazz.

They had to keep up the appearance as enemies whenever a Slytherin or Gryffindor or any other house saw them together, so had to do their lessons in private.

The Slytherin she could handle if they try to cause any trouble but then there was Lucius she had to worry about, not for herself but for Hermione's sakes as well. He still eyed them like a hungry cat over two juicy canaries but kept his distance to avoid any certain jinx thrown his way by 'accident'.

But she knew sooner or later he would feel too confident and cocky and try to make a move on one of them and Keller had just about the right curses she would enjoy putting on him and was not afraid to use in case he dare try and do something to them.

If he dares does anything to me or my cousin, I will make certain he will have a far lesser chance of fathering children in the future.

When the weekend came around she headed to the astronomy tower for one of their study sessions. The rooms he found were always empty, unused and unoccupied, leaving them a perfect chance to practice. He had done a protean charm on some knuts they had which would tell her the time and date to meet, usually after dinner, when she had fed Orion or when everyone was busy with practice which was usually on Friday or Saturday.

She had began to think of him her friend which he didn't seem to see it at first, just training partners but later acquaintances and was a good start. She even took him to meet Orion and he wasn't able to see the Threstal, not even Orion standing behind them and biting him on the rear, letting them know he was there while Severus yelped and spun, expecting to see whatever bit him to see nothing there.

She had to giggle and watch him frown, looking wildly around for whatever it was while Orion stood by her side and allowed her to stroke him on the head, happy to see her and not so much to see Severus. She would want to try again but Severus seem reluctant to ever want to go back there, especially when his rump was going to be bitten every time.

The potions they worked on, experimenting a couple well-known ones and some he was trying to create even when they seem to get purple muck or exploding green that made them sneeze while somehow her breast getting enormous and had to go to Madame Promfrey to fix before anyone could see them. She swore that she almost saw half the guys spun their heads her way when she rushed by but wasn't planning to stop and have a little chat, to have them ogle her double D cups while rapidly growing larger. It took quite a while for her to get use to helping Severus again without having to sniff the concoction and having something else affect her, in bodily terms.

On the day everyone from her house was at the Quidditch field practicing or everyone doing something else and she told Hermione she was going to be busy and have her relate the message to the others as to why she couldn't make it. Snape had always been going to the library only to sneak out and meet her before his house ever wondered where he went. This had been so far the recent study ground as no one went to the astronomy tower during daytime hour.

They had gone over the jinxing curses and counteracting spells from DADA and some he was improvising and mastered and she found them very useful if she ever needed it in case.

She was by fair chance, good as anyone to duel, even Snape had a run for his galleon as he duel her more than numerous times to see her skill and technique which he found weren't all that bad as she practically shield and counteract his attacks.

"Where did you learn to do that?" He had asked one time and she shrugged, answering nonchalant to him, "You could say I was focusing my magical ability in which helps when I train myself before getting ready, giving me a far better knowledge of the elements one has to use against one own opponent." He had been confused by this but didn't ask again, trying to figure what she meant by her strange philosophy.

He wanted to practice Legilimency and Occlumency even by illegal means and hadn't got the chance to try it on anyone and had asked if she would like to help after the rough grueling duel they had.

After reversing the jelly jinx on her legs, having to hold onto the wall then steadying herself, she turn to him surprised that he wanted to have her as the volunteer. She had to consider this as he told her that Legilimency was when a person could look into a person's mind and see the memories of everything, their past, their secrets and whatnot, exactly what she had been doing in Divination with Sirius about almost a month ago.

By the elder, she had almost forgot all about that and wondered if had seen any, even with the barriers she had set around her.

The idea of remembering any of those horrible memories, her parent's death, the excruciating and torturous training with Drake, all her hardship and agony and pain was too horrible to speak of. Her heart that had once been warm had been covered and smothered in ice and shut off with stonewalls barricading inside. They would have remained closed until she found her long lost cousin and allowed her to open up for her and only for her. But hanging with these many people had caused those her to forget to shut them and having the chance to breath again with ease.

She didn't hear Severus speaking until he was standing almost an inch away from her, "Are you all right? You zone out on me." Keller blink and stare at him then realizing what must have happened, "Sorry, just thinking about it you know." Thinking once more what he had asked of her.

Sirius hadn't made any mentions of seeing any of them before in class and wondered if she was at good at closing her mind then she thought. Maybe if she could test it out with someone other than Sirius or Hermione…

She finally agreed. "Yeah but I was wondering if I can try it on you first. Read your mind and you try to deflect it or whatever."

"All right then. The key is to have yourself trying to peer through eye contract or when your opponent is relax or vulnerable or distracted, understand?" She nodded and moved to touch his hands, feeling them briefly before he pulled his hands from hers. "What are you doing?"

"Well you see, in Divination, we held hands with the person and—"

"That isn't always necessary you should know." He almost blushed at having her touch him like a few seconds ago. Her skin, soft and smooth and white like polished ivory while his was shallow and sickly pale compared to hers.

Merlin what was wrong with him? Apparently the conversation with Sirius in the dungeon must have affected him somehow with what he recall saying and was looking her over again, feeling that warmth boiling inside while she gaze on him.

Again he felt his heart lurched to his throat, almost giving him the choke up feeling inside before he could manage to swallow it down. He turn to her, reluctant to have her touch his hands again. "Now just try to look in my mind and I will try to block it all right?"

She stared in his black eyes and tried to concentrate and it seem to have worked as she could heard voices, like a woman crying and a man yelling at her, saying all kinds of things but not seeing the images clearly, most likely fogged over as if they didn't want to be seen.

When she pulled back and was inside her own mind again, she saw Snape rubbing his head, "You all right Severus?" He didn't say but asked her if she saw anything, "What did you see?"

"I didn't see anything, all I saw were blurs and heard voices."

"What kind of voices?" He stuttered, his voice almost quivering and felt his body trembled as she answered in what he feared, "I heard a woman crying, crying because the man was yelling at her over something. Something that I wasn't able to understand and…" She scrunched her face and bit her bottom lips, remembering she had heard another's something else in there, a whimpering sound, and a sense of pain, anguish, fear and hatred.

Towards the man, she would swear on her great ancestor, Alexander Corvinus' watery grave that it was and she could almost guess who it was that was feeling those emotions. He was staring right at her with eyes wide, showing the exact fear and hate within those dark orbs.

"And what? What else did you hear?" She turn her head and didn't look him in the eye but he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, "TELL ME DAMMIT!"

Her eyes went wide and struggled to get out of his grasp and then the next thing they knew Snape in his frenzy of angry was able to penetrate her barriers before she had the chance to shield them. He saw her eyes turn a shocking blue then jet black, pulling him through into a dark abyss and falling into a whirlpool of memories, not all clear but still saw bits and pieces to her past.

He heard laughter and happiness, ones he never had in his entire life before. There was a little girl, with long black hair and hazel eyes with a smile on her face, happy over something. A smile that could dazzle and bring a grin to anyone's face while her eyes were filled with laughter…

A beautiful young woman with dark hair like the little girl and brown chestnut eyes grab the girl's hand, smiling and laughing as they walked away together…'Come on Kell, Daddy's waiting…'

A young man with light brown hair, longish and falling into his face and pushing them away from his hazel eyes that were like hers. He was helping her as she scrape her knee, wiping away the blood but the cut disappearing, 'See Honey, it's gone now. And look no scar.' He picked up the child in his arms and held her, telling her how much he loved her and that there wasn't going to be any more pain…

Keller, looking a bit older, around eight or nine, her hair pulled back in a small ponytail and wearing skin tight clothes and watching her mother and father in a sparse room as they showed her the best ways to defense one self.

'Never too young to learn to protect your self right Kell,' her mother said gruffly as she had her father in a grip lock and letting him go while she agreed with what she said.

Her mother beckoned her to the floor, 'Now come here honey and let me show you how it's done', as she went to stand opposite and in position, poised and ready for her to attack and herself to defend…

Blam-blam-blam, she was shooting a marble bust with a modified Desert Eagle, her mom standing behind and holding her steady as she released the trigger and watched the sculpture exploded into hundreds of white shards…

'Nice shot Kell, you got it good there. You'll be as good as I am one day won't you?' Keller turn around to give her a warm smile before she pressed down on the floor where the scruff red button was and a new ceramic target appeared at the far end of the firing range.

'Go on…squeeze off a few more than we'll take a break…' She didn't hear what she said before firing off another blast of bullets in her target's forehead…

That's enough please that's enough! A voice was yelling but the memories continue to show as he saw what happened next that were even more horrifying than his own.

There were noises coming from a room below, he saw Keller around twelve, dressed in a tank top and bicycle short, getting up from bed and going down the stairs. 'Mom…dad…' she whispered and trip, landing on top of her father's body, riddled with bullets and blood covering her chest and staring into his lifeless eyes.

She screamed…her mom rushing in, a bullet flying by her head while grabbing her in her arms, taking her and trying to escape.

Another shot was heard along with a cry of pain from her mother as blood spurt down on her shoulder and falling hot on her face. They fell onto the floor and Keller lifting her head to watch her mother look to her one last time while holding another gun out in front as her last resort…'I love you Keller, we both do…'

And then there was more firing and then screaming then anger, hate, 'release me…' a strange voice spoke and taking over and everything turning red then black.

Snape broke eye contact and stared at Keller clutching her head, wincing in terrible agony and saw that the nails on her hands had lengthen and sharpened then retract back to normal.

Keller tried to control the Change she was feeling through the pain before it could go any further, it wanting to burst from her skull and when it slowly seem she was back in control, she look towards Snape with eyes filled with fear.

Did, did he see anything? Oh by the Elders…

"Did, did you happened to see, to see…" She couldn't get the words out as she felt the room spinning and was becoming lightheaded before she collapse to the ground, darkness blocking her vision.

Snape stare as she faint and hit the floor. Shit! He went to her side, checking her pulse to see it was faster than normal and her breathing a little heavy, she seem all right, just a fainting spell but what if that wasn't the case.

Oh Merlin what was he going to do, he was no healer and didn't have a clue on what to do. He would have to either see Dumbledore and explain what happened or get her checked out by Madame Promfrey. But what if someone from his house or other saw him taking her to the hospital wing.

Ok don't panic Severus, maybe you can bring Promfrey or find a professor and say you found her here. Yeah that could work!

He laid her down, thinking over the plan again before rushing right out of there, closing the door behind while going down the stairs, three steps at a time.

He was unaware that while he ran out, another figure who had been watching and waiting from the crack opening of the door and went scurrying through and standing by the girl. He saw she was groaning and slowly opening her eyes before she got a chance to see his shadowed face as he aimed his wand at her. "You…"

"Stupefy!" A red bolt of light was hurled at her and she became unconscious again, lying on the floor. When he check to see if she was truly out cold, he pointed at her and cast another spell.

"Locomotor Keller!" Her still body was being lift off the ground and moved towards the window where it was being open and she being set to stand on the ledge. Her body may have been unable to move but her mind had only enough strength to send a message to Hermione before jumping off from the tower, hoping she would get it in time.

Hermione was with some of the other Gryffindor watching their team practice on the Quidditch pitch. She sat beside Remus and Lily and was enjoying their time together, laughing and talking and sometimes she and Remus making out in between.

She leaned on his shoulder, brushing her face against his warm skin and gave him a kiss to the cheek and he turned around and smiled, brushing away a strand lock from her forehead. Lily watched them from the corner of her eye, happy to see them together over almost half a month since they arrive and then turn her attention back on the field to watch her own boyfriend finishing up the drills with their teams.

James and Sirius were the last ones, both reviewing tactic with everyone and went to meet up with the rest of their group.

"Hey looks like you guys were having a good practice, seems like you got everything figure out for next weeks game against Hufflepuff."

"Yeah thanks Sonja." James said, knowing his girlfriend didn't know her real name but when in private called her Hermione or 'Mione' as Keller called her. "The Hufflepuff would know what hit them, ain't that right Padfoot?" Sirius got off his Nimbus 1000 and walked towards them, nodding, "Right you are Prongs, we'll show them along with everyone, including those slimy Slytherin." He looked to them, noticing two members were missing from their group, "Hey where are Wormtail and Kell?"

Lily shrugged, "Beats me, Peter said he had to do something in the library and Sonja do you recall what Keller had told you?"

"Last time I check, Keller said she was going to go and see how Orion was doing and—Ahh!" An inexplicit pain came to her, it was like someone was trying to invade her mind and pull her thoughts out to see them. Hermione grab her head, feeling her skull being hammered and Remus sensing his mate's distress, held onto her shoulder and tried to ask what was wrong while trying to calm her down.

She was breathing hard and didn't know what it was that was causing her so much agonizing pain, all she saw were thoughts and images blurring in her mind, of Keller, her parents, laughing, crying, training and then screaming as everything black out for her.

Then before at the last second became a little bit conscious and heard someone shouting, 'Stupefy…Locomotor Keller' and then hearing something being open, like a shutter or glass window.

Mione…Tower…

"Sonja, Sonja, what's wrong? Do you need to see Madame Promfrey do you—" But Hermione ignored Lily's question as she looked around her until she saw a pair of Omnioculars in her hand.

"Can I use that?" She took it from her before she could reply and race to the back and look behind through them, seeing the castle then looking towards the grounds, Hagrid by the stalls with Orion and the other Threstal outside by the pumpkin patch for some exercise but no Keller.

Tower, she had said 'tower' and looked to where the towers were, staring at each one and then saw something at the astronomy tower. She zoom the image closer and saw Keller, standing right on the ledge and then jumped off, falling.

"KELLER!" She rushed back down and grab James's broomstick before and rush back out to fly off to where she saw her.

Everyone was confused as they went to see why Hermione gone off like that. Lily picked up the omnioculars and look in the direction that she had been staring at and her face paled as Remus took them from her and saw what she saw.

"MERLIN'S BEARD! KELLER JUMPED OFF THE ASTRONOMY TOWER!" He looked to go find the professor and hurried to warn them what had happened. James and some other students went to see and Sirius mounted his Nimbus and flew off after Hermione.

Hermione was trying her best to get Keller to snap out of it. COME ON KELLER! WAKE UP DAMN IT! KELLER!

But Keller wasn't responding, she remained unconscious and not hearing the screaming inside her head to snap out of it and wake up but continue to fall at immense speed. Any second she could land on the ground and get killed on impact! She had to hurry and Hermione leaned forward on her broom, adding more speed and velocity while trying to reach her before she hit the solid ground.

Dear Merlin, don't let me be too late! Something fast zoomed by and all she caught was a blur with dark hair flying to where Keller was.

Sirius! Sirius dove down below just a mere few inch before catching Keller and himself almost losing his balance before Hermione join his side quickly and helped him adjust and steady his broom and flew back towards the ground.

Everyone, James, Lily, Remus and the professors that had been informed came rushing towards them.

"My goodness what on earth!" McGonagall was saying as she and Dumbledore reach their side as Sirius laid Keller down. Professor Valerious, wearing a burgundy robe and her hair in a high ponytail, reaching Dumbledore's side with the other professors and saw Keller on the ground and looked towards them, "What happened Ms. Lucian, Mr. Black?"

"We-we're not sure ourselves professor," Hermione started explaining, "I-I was looking behind me with the omnioculars and I thought I saw something at the tower, I zoom in and saw Keller." She knew she couldn't exactly tell them the truth with everyone crowding them but Dumbledore would know as he looked into her mind and nodded in understanding.

Professor Valerious went to touch Keller's pulse, "She has been stunned," and then whipped out her wand from her robes and point at her, muttering, "Ennervate!"

Keller groan, her eyelids flutter and opened to see people standing around her looking at them all dazed and confused. "W-what happened?"

"Something we would like to know as well Ms. Corvin?" Keller turn and saw Dumbledore, Hermione, the marauders, almost everyone standing by her. She tried to sit up but Professor Valerious who was still by her side, put her hand on her shoulder and told her to lie still.

"Do you happen to know anything that made you jump from up there?" Dumbledore point up to the tower where she had been standing on its ledge before falling off it. Keller tried to but everything was swirling around like a crazy and didn't recall anything. She shook her head uncertain.

"Are you sure?" She nodded, her mind a jumbled mess and everything was scrambled up like it been put in a blender and press for pulverizes on high.

Dumbledore turn to McGonagall, "Check the tower and outside, have the professor see if anyone was there at the time and have them come straight to my office immediately. Professor Valerious take Ms. Corvin to the Hospital Wing and inform Poppy what has happened, I'm sure with a fall from that impeding height, she would possible feel—" Keller's eyes rolled in her head and fell back to the ground, "faint."

Professor Valerious nodded, "Of course sir," and went to pick up the unconscious Keller.

Sirius went up to the headmaster, "Professor can I come with Professor Valerious? We are her friends and would like…" Dumbledore was considering this and nodded. "Very well Mr. Black, you, Ms. Lucian, Mr. Lupin, Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans we'll be allowed to see her when she wakes up and after Poppy seen to it that's it's all right for her to have company. In the meantime she will need some rest and we must try to figure out as to why she would be there up in the tower alone…or not."

Snape had been heading to Madame Promfrey's office but then saw that she had gone to the Greenhouse for a chat with Professor Sprout to discuss some medical herbs she need for a potion. Snape then was heading straight back to the tower, seeing as he had no other choice but to take Keller down to the hospital wing or Dumbledore's office when he heard voices as he came closer.

"…No one said they had seen Ms. Corvin going to the pitch today with the other Gryffindor and didn't tell them where she was going except Ms. Lucian whom she told to visit Hagrid and he confirmed that much was true." That was professor McGonagall's voice and heard another voice speak, a loud gruff one, the one he knew from potions.

"You don't think she could have possible well been thinking of…" Slughorn's voice trailed as if indicating what most people would have thought. "But she's always so brilliant in potions with Mr. Snape and I was thinking they made a good couple as I had seem them getting along quite well in class together and being close after."

Snape nearly thought his heart go up his throat as Slughorn had made mention him and Keller 'being close' and 'good couple'. What if the professor knew what he and Keller were doing, meeting together in private and well then practicing? He didn't need to think like the professor to what most would as two of the opposite sex, being alone together in a somewhat private room. The last thing he wanted was being expelled than said to go out with a Gryffindor by his fellow Slytherin.

He swallowed hard and listened in to their conversation, hoping the tone McGonagall was using wasn't what he feared to be suspicion. "Now do not be ridiculous Horace. Ms. Corvin or Ms. Lucian never seem to had never had any trouble with schoolwork at all and seem always happy, especially with the Marauders."

"Yes that's true but do you recall the few times where Ms. Corvin was always telling Mr. Black to leave her alone in the hallway last month."

"Of course I remember, I spot them more than once, she ignoring him constantly and told him off to leave Mr. Snape alone that day in the hall like—"

"Like Mr. Potter and Ms. Evans and look at them now, both a happy couple for this year." Snape wonder curiously as what they were getting at as he had noticed too that with what Black and Keller had been doing, Black flirting with her nonstop and she ignoring and telling him off.

But it was almost been a couple weeks since that stop happening and now she was laughing at his silly jokes and hanging around him from time to time.

She shouldn't be doing that with Black! She shouldn't at all, she wasn't suppose to smile at Black, not laugh at his stupid joke, she should be with, with…

Me? Dear Merlin what am I thinking! He shook his head away from the thought as he listen still to the conversation at hand, still unsure as to why but had to do mainly with Keller. Finally he had the answer as professor Slughorn made a grief sigh.

"Well we check the tower already, no sign of anyone there, nobody seen anyone going there, nothing to indicate Ms. Keller was suicidal but—"

"But there were some magical traces in the room, indicating that someone else had been there and possible had gotten Ms. Keller to move to the window and almost fall to her doom." McGonagall saying to Slughorn as they walked away from the tower and were heading for the corridor where Snape was and he not knowing what to do, pretend to walk right in on them.

"Oh Mr. Snape we didn't see you there!" McGonagall's stern eyes seem surprised to see him walking by, knowing he must have caught some word of their conversation. Well it best they find out if he had seen anyone up in that tower then. "Did you by any chance see anyone go up to the Astronomy tower today Mr. Snape?"

"No professor, I was in the library for a while and then went to the dorm to study up for DADA tomorrow." He knew that the other Slytherin would have probably gone off somewhere other than to the dungeon after, so he would have at least a good alibi.

"Are you sure?" He nodded, hoping they leaved him alone before Slughorn said, "Well I guess that's that, we'll have to check up Ms. Corvin once she recovered from the hospital wing and see if she says anything about what happened." And the two of them left Snape whose skin was starting to go pale as he thought what Keller might say if she told them.

Dear Merlin he had to make sure she doesn't!

Sirius laid Keller down on the bed after he and Professor Valerious took her to the hospital wing. Madame Promfrey had returned to find the Professor, Sirius and Keller lying unconscious in his arms and asking him what he did.

"Why do you always blame me?" He whined like it was his fault that Keller ended up like this before Professor Valerious went to the med-witch and explain what happened.

"Oh dear Merlin! How horrible! I didn't realized, how could, oh Mr. Black please lie her down quickly." She went to check on her while Sirius and the professor stood by, feeling that they should stay to see if Keller was all right. Sirius felt his anger building, wanted to find out whoever it was that try to harm her and wrap his hands around that bastard's murderous throat.

How dare they try to do such a thing to her, forcing her jump from the tower, at least that's what he bet his families entire fortune to it being someone had stunned her in the process? When he gets his hand on them…

Valerious noticed his fist curled and shaking in silent anger, the knuckles turning white. She placed her hand on his shoulder making him turn around to look at her, "It's never wise to let your anger get the best of you Sirius, it never turns out right in the end, only leads to worse and I'm certain Keller wouldn't want that from you."

Sirius knew she was right but still could help the way he felt about whoever had tried to hurt his friend. He looked towards Keller again still unconscious and the professor said to comfort him with her kind words, "She was lucky you were able to catch her before and I'm sure she'd be grateful and want to thank you when she wakes up."

He flushed, recalling how the first time, falling on top of him and felt the professor didn't need to know that. He turn to see the professor give him a warm smile.

"She'll be find in Poppy's care so don't worry too much Mr. Black. I think it time for you to get back to your friends and let them know, you don't want them worrying too much now do you?"

He shook his head and made to leave before asking if she promise to let him know when she was all right.

"Of course, the headmaster or myself, given permission of course from Dumbledore, will inform you and your friends when you can see her."

"Thank you Professor." He said and left the room before taking one last look behind to see Promfrey was checking for any other signs to see if she had anything out of the normal and left through the double doors. Valerious waited for them to close before standing by Poppy as she finished her medical examination. "Just a slight fainting spell, I'm sure she'll be awake in an hour or so but I would like for her to stay overnight for any signs just in case."

"All right then. Thank you Poppy, I'll inform Dumbledore about that right away when he comes to see about the matter." She said to the med-witch before she left to go to her medicine cabinet to fetch a potion. Professor Valerious sat down in the seat she had been in and looked towards Keller on the bed and push a stray lock of her black hair from her face.

She looks so much like you when we were young…She had first been surprised to see a replica of the girl she had once knew a long time ago when they bump in the hall and could sense the trait of her blood which strangely odd her to no end. The girl was a like a ghost image of what she would turn out to look just like her someday, beautiful and full of life and a smile that made anyone feel captivated.

A girl that she remembered from her own tragic past. The girl that had been her sister…

Keller moan and then lied back down as she laid on her pillow resting. Valerious smiling as she saw how her brow furrowing, deep in thought.

Just like my sister use to do…

She bend to kiss her forehead and watched the brow unfurl as she left the room and stood outside the double doors, leaning against them and pull up from the gold chain a small oval locket. Ancient but still well kept and open it to stare at the two pictures inside.

One side held two little girls, both five years old. Her daughters. The other side of the locket showed her beside a maturing young lady, soon to be twenty staring happily with soft chestnut brown eyes.

Selene, her sister, the sister that had been taken from her life by Viktor and made a vampire while she alone became something she wished she did not but still didn't understand of what she was.

She looked down at her the images once more before closing the locket and placing it back under the folds and heading off to Dumbledore to report to him of Poppy's examination.

He watch the professor leave, thinking she was never going to as she had stood by those doors, blocking his way to get in. He had to get in before she woke up and told Dumbledore what had happened.

When he saw no one else coming down the hall, he went and carefully open the doors, stopping for one second when he heard a slight creak and then tried again as he let it swing full way and step in.

He didn't see Madame Promfrey, guessing she was in her office and couldn't waste the time he had as he approached Keller's bedside and taking out his wand and fiddling around in his mind for the right incantation, point to her forehead and said, "Obliviate!" And a bright light hit Keller's forehead and disappeared as he rushed out of the room, closing the door and heading for somewhere else far from the wing to keep less suspicion off him.

So far his mission had nearly been a close call and had to wipe away the memory of what happened today at the tower and nearly forgetting Dumbledore was a powerful wizard but he would worry about that some other time. Right now he need to lie low for a bit and wait.